Riptides & Promises
by Shinigami Yumi
Summary: Five years after Sol, Ky, Dizzy, Sin and the Valentines settle into their unconventional family of choice, they are back at war with new enemies. Sol goes all out and loses control. Ky goes to stop him from injuring friendlies. They get distracted as Ky attempts first aid. [Sol/Ky, sequel to You Made Me Live Again]


Ten years ago, when I was first in this fandom, I met a friend whom I have since fallen out of contact with. This is likely my fault as I've always been terrible at keeping in touch or even updating my blog. Still, this goes out to Raging Tofu, who once told me she likes feral!Sol.

I miss you.

* * *

 **Riptides & Promises**

"Your Majesty!"

Ky turns as an Illyrian soldier skids to a stop in the command centre and salutes him.

"Yes, please report."

"Yes, sir! The western front is almost clear, my lord, but..."

The man isn't just pausing to catch his breath, and Ky steels himself for bad news.

"But?"

"It's... We're taking casualties from an ally, Your Majesty."

 _No..._ His eyes widen as his wife gasps beside him.

"Please lead the way. I'll stop him," she volunteers, stepping towards the reporting soldier.

"No, your power is needed here in case of attack," he says quickly. "I'll go." More importantly, if Sol was pushed this far, then Dizzy is too strong — he doesn't want to injure Sol any further.

Dizzy nods. "Okay. Please be careful."

"Hey, dad?" Sin pipes up behind. "Will you be okay alone? It _is_ the old man."

Ky turns and smiles faintly. "Yes, no one knows Sol's strength better than I. Still, I'm grateful for your concern, Sin. Thank you. Please assist your mother here."

Awkwardly, Sin scratches his head and looks away. "Y—yeah... Don't you dare make mom cry or anything. I won't forgive you."

"Sin," Dizzy chides softly as Ky turns to open their secure line.

"Leo, Gabriel, I'm turning command over to you. Over and out." Without waiting for a reply, he joins the soldier. "Please lead the way."

They hurry to the western front where the Illyrian army is pulling back to regroup following their victory. Up ahead, Ky spots a familiar red blur mopping up their enemies. Some of the retreating soldiers are also being hit, and they've begun fleeing for their lives. For a moment, it slows, and the figure is clearly inhuman. And now that he's looking at it, Ky can't be sure, but it feels like he's glimpsed this form before… sometimes when they fight.

"Reform the ranks and send out scouts. Our enemies may still be out there," he instructs, drawing his sword. "Leave this to me."

Dashing forward, he clears out a few remnants on his way. When he nears Sol, the injuries immediately catch his eye — they're healing, but not quickly enough, and the continuous fighting is aggravating them. The other whirls on him as he approaches, and there are acid burns where glowing yellow eyes should be.

"Sol?"

There isn't even a hint of recognition, and Ky fights down the disappointment. He needs to focus — he's parrying an attack in the next instant. Dizzy used to describe, "Whenever a battle starts, the power starts flowing and a voice screams to me, 'Kill! Kill!' Sometimes, it drowns out everything else, and I don't know anything." So first, he needs to calm Sol down, so they can stop fighting.

He's no match for Sol in brute force, of course, or even in stamina, but he wouldn't be much of a rival if he couldn't best Sol in speed and skill even with the other blinded. So he uses everything he's learned about Sol's fighting style through twenty years of rivalry to evade and parry the Gear's attacks, drawing Sol towards the bit of forest nearby — there's a stream not too far in, and they'll need the cover in case more enemies show up. By the time they reach the trees, Sol is visibly frustrated — he growls fiercely and presses the attack. It worsens the bleeding from the large gash in his side, and Ky worries.

"Sol, listen, you have to stop!" he calls out above the sound of their blades clashing. He'll admit he's impressed — even blinded, Sol's attacks are right on their mark.

The Gear only moves into the next attack, but as he steps forward, he sways and sinks to one knee, clutching his head. After several moments, it's clear it's not a feint. Ky checks their surroundings for hostiles and resheathes his sword when he senses none.

"Have you calmed down a bit?" he asks, taking a careful step closer.

Sol bares sharp fangs in a menacing growl. In this form, parts of the Gear's body glow with a golden light; their source seems to be in his solar plexus under what looks like a gear cog and a bit of chain — Ky guesses that's Sol's Gear Core. The glow seems worryingly weak now, like waning sunlight.

Moving slowly to appear as non-threatening as possible, Ky approaches. "Sol, it's me; it's Ky."

Sol tenses at his next step, so he stops. Here, he can hear the other's laboured breaths, smell the blood and ichor. Very slowly, he crouches, bringing himself closer.

"Sol..." More softly now, gently. "You know me. You know I won't hurt you." He holds out his hand, and Sol swipes at it — Ky barely retracts it in time.

 _How accurate... He must be sensing my aura. Oh!_ Ky drops his shielding and calms himself. Sol tilts his head —curious, confused— but remains tensed to defend himself, and Ky is at a loss. _If this is instinct, then I suppose I need to make him feel safe. But if I reach for my sword now, even to set it aside, he'll misunderstand. What can I do?_ Ky wracks his brain — there must be some way to get through to Sol.

Suddenly, Sol sniffs the air, leaning a fraction closer. To Ky's surprise, some of the hostility fades into uncertainty.

 _Ah!_ He's read that many animals recognise their kin and surroundings by scent. Perhaps it's the same for Gears. Maybe, after all these years, Sol knows his. "Sol?"

The other twitches in the direction of his voice, still wary.

 _Safe... How can I appear like even less of a threat? Ah, perhaps if I offer an easy opening to kill?_

 _"Don't you dare make mom cry or anything."_

The thought of his wife and son makes him hesitate. As a king, as a husband, as a father, this is irresponsible.

Sol's breaths grow quicker and shallower.

 _No. No, I... trust Sol._ He closes his eyes. _He wouldn't kill me._ When nothing happens, he leans forward and tilts his head slightly.

"Hah—"

Pure _terror_ seizes him for an instant as he's all but pounced on, and he sags in relief when no powerful jaws sink into his bared neck. Sol only nuzzles him, and it feels strangely intimate as he lifts his arms to wrap them protectively around the other.

Sighing, he wonders if it'll always be like this — always, they've fought their way to an understanding, reaching out without words. He's tired of all the fighting though.

One day, he hopes all the battles will end, and they can all live together in peace — Sol, Dizzy and Sin, even the Valentines. Between the security of Sol's strength and the comfort of Dizzy's gentleness, the last few years have been an unbelievable happiness. They've made it work, while changing and protecting the world, and for that, Ky is immeasurably grateful.

Suddenly, Sol slumps in arms, and he barely manages to hold the dead weight up. The Core hasn't lost its light though, so he mutters a fervent prayer of thanks. Worriedly, he looks toward Illyria Castle — he should be at the command centre, but he can't leave Sol like this. Perhaps a scout will come looking, and he can get some assistance with moving Sol back into the Castle.

Just then, he hears the call to advance blaring — no one has the luxury of searching for them now. Carefully, Ky shifts his hold and drags Sol closer to the nearest tree to lean him back against the trunk before anxiously reviewing his options — return to the command centre, seek assistance for Sol, join the battle on the front lines, or trust the others and stay here?

He knows what he wants to do, of course; he can even justify it — they need Sol's power to win this war too, so ensuring his safety is important. Furthermore, Sol has already dealt with their main problem. That doesn't necessarily make it the best decision, however. There's also a chance they'll need Sol's help again soon, and if so, the best course of action would be to accelerate Sol's recovery.

He knows absolutely nothing about that though — Ky's a soldier, not a doctor, and even if he were, he doubts he would have learned anything about treating Gears.

The stream is nearby, however, so he can at least wipe the acid out of Sol's eyes. Removing his cloak, he dips it in the stream and wrings some water out before returning to Sol's side. Folding it up and dabbing at the burns, the fabric sizzles and smokes as the acid corrodes it, and Ky worries that he's making things worse, but at this point, he can only keep going and try to clean off as much as possible. After refolding the garment multiple times to use different segments, the cloth finally shows no signs of corrosion — he's removed all the residue. Tossing the ruined cloak aside, he undoes the sash he uses to tie his hair and wraps it around Sol's eyes as a makeshift bandage.

The other hasn't so much as stirred throughout the entire ordeal of cold water, acid burns and acrid stench though, so Ky worriedly checks Sol's wounds — they've stopped bleeding, at least, and the Core's light seems brighter.

Relieved, he relaxes, leaning into Sol. In this form, Sol is incredibly warm, and Ky's never been this close. Curious, he runs his fingers over Sol's arm — silky smooth reptilian scales over rock solid muscle. Alone in a forest like this, tending each other's injuries, Ky is reminded of their Order days, of simpler times. If they'd shared then what they do now, he wonders, would any of this have come to pass?

Perhaps, he thinks suddenly, he can share his magical energy with Sol, so the Gear can heal himself more quickly. He has no idea if that's even possible, but any chance that he can help is worth a shot now. Reaching out, he places his hand over the glowing Core.

With a jerk, a large hand catches his, and he winces in pain. "Ky..." Sol's forceful grip loosens, and clawed hands reach for the sash over his eyes instead.

"No." Ky catches his hands.

"Hn?"

"Ah..." Ky scrambles for an excuse — they'll heal, so Sol doesn't have to know. He's still a terrible liar though, so "Indulge me?" he requests sheepishly.

Fortunately, Sol merely huffs in exasperation and casts the dissonance chords.

"Welcome back," Ky says with a smile as the other's body shifts back to its human appearance.

Leaning forward, he touches his lips gently to the mark on Sol's brow, adjusting the sash as he does. Sol has never questioned the gesture, so Ky can only assume their understanding is shared. Strong arms snake around him, and he gasps as he's pulled into a crushing embrace. Sol mouths at the side of his neck, and again, there's that strange intimacy — it's almost as if they're connected somehow.

"Mine," Sol whispers, nipping at the shell of his ear, and it sends a shudder down his spine.

"Yes." He turns for a kiss, settling between muscular thighs.

Sol chuckles. "Shoulda known you'd be into that."

"I'm fine," he murmurs, snuggling closer. "You hit a few people before I arrived, nothing serious."

"And the war?"

"Leo and Gabriel are directing the advance on the other fronts. They won't be needing us for a while."

He doesn't know if Sol buys his show of confidence, but the other only gets their clothes out of the way with practiced ease and runs warm hands over every inch of revealed skin. Ky sighs, leaning into the contact. He should worry about the war, or even about being found like this, but—

Sol buries his face in golden hair and inhales deeply, as if savouring or remembering the scent, and Ky forgets to breathe. There's a sense of gravity in the air, like he's grasping at something important.

"Sol?"

"Hn?"

Just like that, the moment's gone. Lost, he shakes his head. Instead, he takes Sol's hand and rises, tugging the other to his feet. "Come with me?"

Surprisingly, Sol obliges without complaint, lets Ky lead the way to the stream. He even smiles slightly at the bubbling brook and crouches for a drink, letting Ky guide his hands. Kneeling in the cool ankle-deep water, Ky draws Sol into his arms. Slipping forward, Sol ends up straddling his lap, and he chuckles, peppering tanned skin with kisses as he gently washes healing wounds.

"Is this all you wanted? How boring." A blunt finger finds his entrance, and Ky jumps, biting back a yelp. He's sure Sol felt his reaction though — half-hard, he's brushing Sol's inner thigh. Sol lifts his chin. "Or was there some other reason you blindfolded me?"

The breath hitches in Ky's throat, and he's glad Sol doesn't wait to capture his lips. Sol's touch is warm, the intermittent splashes of water are cool and wet, and he's whimpering into the kiss, shifting back onto that teasing finger. He wraps his hands around Sol and strokes roughly like he remembers, and the other growls his approval. Plundering his mouth, Sol plucks at a nipple with his free hand, and he moans, hips jerking as precum leaks from his fully erect member. Even the water running over his sacs is arousing like this, and he almost spills when Sol plucks at his other nipple. They break off, breathless, but Sol doesn't stop tracing his entrance with wet fingers, and he's trembling on the brink of orgasm.

"Ky." Sol holds him close, skin on skin. "I know what you're doing."

Ky tenses, fingers digging into broad shoulders. "Sol, I—"

"Shut up. You can stop."

Confused, he blinks. "What?"

"The flow of energy." He takes Ky's hand and guides it to his side — the gash is gone. "It's enough."

In a flash, everything clicks —the strange sense of connection, Sol's unusually obliging side— but it's hard to focus while Sol is fingering him. With only the tip, it's just shy of enough, and it's almost painful how close he is, how expertly close his lover is keeping him.

"Sol..." It comes out a desperate whine as Sol crooks his finger, and he can't get any friction in this position.

The other sighs grudgingly. "Thanks."

Ky cries out as orgasm hits, vision whiting out as the pleasure implodes. He keens when Sol presses in deeper, spilling more at the second spark inside. It should hurt, probably, but he can only ride wave after wave of pleasure as Sol milks him through it.

He feels boneless and strung out when it's over, and Sol has to remind him, "You need to stop."

It's easy now, without the distraction, but he regrets it — it feels like something's missing.

The other only flicks him on the nose, shifting so they're lying down in the water. "You've never needed it," Sol says simply, cradling him close, and it's easy to believe.

Twining their legs, Ky playfully traces the curve of Sol's nose with a wet fingertip, kissing the corner of Sol's mouth. It's taken them almost twenty years to get here, to just be together like this — the contentment and tenderness still overwhelms him sometimes. He hopes Sol feels the same — he wants Sol to be happy.

Running his hands over smooth planes of muscle, he nips his way down to swirl his tongue around a nipple. Sol squirms, and he circles the other areola with his fingers as he keeps his attentions up. His lover arches into the contact, narrow hips bucking with a groan when he pinches a nub, so he worries the other one with his teeth. Sol gasps when he exchanges mouth and fingers, locks both arms under his back when Ky starts flicking the nubs — as always, afraid of hurting him by accident.

"I love you," Ky blurts suddenly. It's something he's wanted to say for years now, but Sol would just call him a total sap. Even now, it feels awkward, and he doubts Sol will even acknowledge it.

So he just keeps teasing sensitive nipples, presses his lips to the centre of the other's chest where the Core had been and kisses his way down, pausing along the trail of fine brown hair. Sol arches in anticipation. Ky exhales warmly a hair's breadth away from the glans, and Sol shivers, precum pooling on already wet skin. Ky laps it up, mouths hungrily at the heavy shaft, and Sol writhes beneath him, biting back a wanton groan.

This still makes him blush, yet he loves it — it's the best way he knows to tease Sol. He kisses the base, swipes the flat of his tongue over the nearby sacs, and traces the vein on the underside with the tip. Sol is familiar now —the heady musk, the bitter salt— and he wonders if the other would enjoy being taken as much as he does. Experimentally, he caresses that cleft as he sucks lightly on the tip, and Sol's entire body jerks, tense as a taut bowstring.

"You—"

"Only if you want to," he interjects hurriedly, backing off.

There's a long pause, then Sol relaxes, smirking. "Didn't you do all this just to have your way with me?"

"E—even so, I wouldn't force something you didn't enjoy," he retorts.

Sol sits up and leans close to embrace him with a snort. "As if you could." He nibbles on the shell of Ky's ear. "But I bet you didn't know water makes for terrible lube, boy."

Ky bites his lip — Sol's always been good at making him feel like an ignorant child.

The other laughs at his silence and feels around for something. He seems to find it in a ledge of smooth rock. The stream drops about two feet there, and Sol nudges him to sit on that ledge. Settling between his legs below, Sol leans down to kiss the side of his left knee with palpable tenderness. Ky leans forward, runs his fingers through long brown hair in a loose embrace and smiles as Sol kisses his way up a fraction at a time.

More than anything, he treasures these little things, these moments that make _them_ feel so real.

Then he's muffling a cry with the back of his hand as he's taken into a hot mouth, as he's left wet and wanting almost as quickly as it came. It's just a teaser — Sol has already moved back to sucking a mark into his inner thigh. Even this is new, and Ky can only pull Sol into a kiss, try to convey all the emotion he doesn't know how to express.

"Now," Sol whispers over his lips, voice husky with lust, and Ky knows not to question this, just shifts in concert and presses in.

Sometimes, pain is good — satisfying and _real;_ he knows this better than anyone.

So he just winds his arms tightly around his lover and presses his lips emphatically to that vulnerable spot behind the neck. Sol clenches around him, and Ky moans into tanned skin as he mouths his way down his lover's spine. Bracing himself on the ledge, Sol urges Ky to move, and he obliges, adjusting the angle till Sol cries out as he thrusts in. He keeps going —harder, faster— and Sol is biting back the keens of pleasure, stones cracking under clawed hands.

Sol has never been so vocal before, and God, but it's the _hottest_ thing.

He reaches up to pluck at pert nipples underwater, and Sol climaxes on his next thrust, all but howling his name. Ky can't help spilling as well — he's always been weak to this. Sometimes, he thinks Sol could talk him to orgasm, if only Sol were the type to whisper sweet words in his ear. He has Dizzy for that, of course, but it's not his wife he's afraid of losing; it's not Dizzy who may soon tire of him and never return. Sometimes, he even envies his son — if Sol ever distances himself from the world, Ky is sure Sin would be the single exception to the other's self-imposed exile, not him.

Ky clings tightly to Sol, strokes him through the aftershocks. As they come down from it, he opens his mouth to say something, probably the kind of clingy sentimental crap that Sol hates, but the other beats him to words.

"I haven't been with anyone since I was human," Sol sighs, barely audible above the cascade of water.

It takes a moment, but suddenly, it's hard to breathe — this is Sol's answer.

"Even for a night," Sol continues, to Ky's surprise, dropping the crushed pieces of stone in his hands into the water, "You're right, I was afraid."

He reaches up and undoes the sash covering his eyes —Ky is too stunned to stop him— before shifting to envelop Ky in his arms.

"I hate having something to lose. Solitude never used to feel so cold." His breath ghosts over Ky's ear, but the sensation seems so far away. "Sometimes, it feels like you've already died in my arms, and there isn't a part of me that doesn't feel that pain. That's— Why are you crying? Heh. Aria—" _Justice,_ Ky mentally supplies, "used to say I'm the worst at this sort of thing. A hundred and eighty years later, I'm still saying all the wrong things."

Ky shakes his head, face buried in the crook of Sol's neck. "No. No, you misunderstand — I'm so happy that I can't stop. You must think me a foolish child still. Even these last few years, I keep thinking, one day, we won't be enough, and you won't come back. Hearing this, even in my last moments, I would be content."

"...idiot. I said I wouldn't let anything more be taken from me."

Ky smiles with radiant joy, leaning up for a kiss. "Then let me promise — I'll never let you be alone."

.

"OOOOLD MAAAAN?! DAAAAD?!"

Sin comes running into the forest, searching around.

"Yeeesh, quiet down," Sol grumbles from a little further in.

He's sitting between the roots of a large tree, Ky asleep in his lap, head pillowed by his shoulder. Sol has an arm around Ky and a hand buried in long golden hair. Ky doesn't even stir as Sin approaches.

"What, so this is where you've been?" Sin doesn't hide his exasperation. "Napping?"

"Shut up," Sol scoffs. "Your idiot dad gave me all his magical energy because he was worried about my injuries." Still, this silliness is part of why he's let Ky in so close, why even a monster wants to protect the other man.

"Huh? Is that even possible?"

"Heh. Until he did it for your mom, I didn't think you could use the Outrage to freeze time for someone." Ky has always been a prodigy though. Perhaps if he'd been born before the war... No, Sol doesn't want to think about that.

Sin scratches his head. "And you couldn't just carry him back?" He's not pissed at Ky anymore, but he still doesn't get what everyone sees in his dad. _He makes mom and the old man really happy though, so that's fine, I guess._

Sol sighs, climbing to his feet and lifting Ky over his shoulder. "You woke me with your yelling, you noisy brat." He smacks Sin in the head with his free hand as he passes.

"Ow! You left all the clean up to us!" The kid runs after him. "Uncle Leo's pissed too!"

"Leo can talk to my middle finger," Sol mutters, shifting Ky in his arms. For a moment, Ky seems to awaken, but he only smiles up at Sol in perfect contentment before drifting off again.

Another decade, another war — he doesn't know when the next crisis will strike, or if they will survive. But as Dizzy, Paradigm, Leo and the Valentines greet them at the gates, Sol thinks, maybe it's all right.

Ky's always been good at keeping his promises.

* * *

Thank you for reading!

This one is un-beta-ed, so let me know if you find any mistakes or room for improvement.

...actually, I love hearing from readers, so even if you don't find any, tell me anyway. XD


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